This vacation was planned as our final "family" vacation before my children move to the next phases of their lives (marriage, job opportunity in Europe, & college). Lakeview at Birchwood Cottages provided the perfect opportunity for that to happen. The cottage was clean and ready for us when we arrived and check-in was easy through a key box on the porch. The appliances were easy to use and the refrigerator kept everything ice cold. A neat extra touch was that the doors on the fridge were painted with chalkboard paint which allowed us to leave messages for each other when we went off on our own adventures. The master bedroom was roomy with plenty of closet space and extra room for our suitcases. The other bedroom worked just fine for two of my sons, all they really did in there was sleep at night or take an occasional nap. My third son slept on the bed which is on the screened front porch and honestly, I was a little jealous, because he had the coolest place to sleep when a few of the nights got a little muggy. The trundle bed in the living room wasn't used used to sleep, it was used more as gathering place for gear and other odds and ends. The bathroom served its purpose, but the shower is only a stall shower and close to the sink, which for someone with a bit of a belly like me, made it a bit of tight squeeze getting in and out. It wasn't a big deal, just had to "suck it in" a little to get in. The water pressure wasn't great, but it did it's job, which was what we needed it to do.
The area outside the cottage was nice and clean with a picnic table, where we ate and played dominoes each night, a charcoal grill, and a fire pit. There were also two Adirondack chairs and some other white plastic chairs as well. The lake could be seen from the cottage and the walk to the beach was maybe three minutes with easy to navigate stairs. The beach had a great sandy area and three boat docks to use if you need them. Two kayaks, a row boat, and a paddle boat are available to use for free, if desired. The swimming area had plenty of sand as well, with only a few small rocks here and there, but nothing that was problematic. There is also a swimming platform to jump off of at the end of the roped off swimming area. The lake was clean and refreshing to swim in. It was a little chilly when you first got in, but quickly became enjoyable and cooled you off.
Overall this was a great trip and we would eagerly stay at Birchwood Cottages again.